The present invention relates generally to agricultural implements, and more specifically, to shields which protect plants from soil throw during cultivation.
Several types of crop shields are available to shelter crops from excessive soil throw during cultivation. Rolling shields are used to protect the plants and travel through the field like a wheel adjacent the rows of plants and adjacent the outside sweeps. Although rolling shields can roll over most trash which they encounter in their way, some trash conditions can cause the shields to block and result in damaged crops and a messy field condition. By their nature, rolling shields can only protect a small area of the crop adjacent the axis of rotation of the shields. Also, some rolling shields cannot be effectively used in extremely tall crops without damage to the crops.
Compared to rolling shields, conventional fore-and-aft extending rig-mounted shields provide an increased area of protection for the crops adjacent the cultivator sweeps. Such shields are generally hung in place and, unless adjusted manually, either do not move or simply hang from parallel arms that swing back. When used with no-till or ridge-till practices which leave a large amount crop residue on the soil surface, the rig-mounted shields tend to plug and cause crop to be destroyed. Also, the plugging causes clumps of trash mixed with soil to build up at areas in the field where the blockage has taken place. The force necessary to move rockable shields and release blockages is often so large that unsightly and destructive clumps form before they are released.